


Useless [Destiel One Shot]

by Redlineriot



Series: Destiel One Shots [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel Fluff (Supernatural), Destiel - Freeform, Destiel Fluff, Destiel One Shot, Human Castiel, M/M, Men of Letters Bunker (Supernatural), Nightmares, Supernatural - Freeform, human cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:22:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27888235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redlineriot/pseuds/Redlineriot
Summary: Dean hears Castiel cry out for help, only for him to find out that the ex-angel was having a nightmare. After a nice long talk, the two decide to watch a movie and get cozy.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: Destiel One Shots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2042032
Comments: 2
Kudos: 56





	Useless [Destiel One Shot]

**Author's Note:**

> I don't exactly know WHEN this would take place, but that isn't really crucial I guess. It does involve human Cas, but that's about it.

Dean walked down the corridor, trying to make as little noise as possible as his bare feet hit the cold floor. He knew he should be asleep at this hour- hell, everyone else in the bunker was. But there was just something keeping him from shutting his eyes and calling it a night. Instead, he wandered around the bunker, had a few beers in the kitchen, cleaned his gun, and even tried to bore himself to sleep by reading some old lore. Unfortunately, he was as wide awake as he was when he started and given that it was just past three in the morning, he figured he should at least try to get some rest. He didn’t need much sleep, but he most certainly depended on those four hours he could normally achieve. 

Dean was just passing room 15, Castiel’s room, when he heard a panicked scream erupt from the other side of the door. Without a second thought, Dean flung open the door and cocked his gun, aiming the barrel into the darkness of his friend’s bedroom. He was glad that he had been cleaning it earlier- otherwise, he wouldn’t have had it on him. 

“Cas, you alright?” Dean said, his eyes darting around the room in search of an attacker. He glanced down at Cas, who was sitting up in his bed and staring up at Dean in shock. 

Cas reached over and flicked on the lamp, lighting up the bedroom. “Dean? What are you doing?”

Dean, still keeping his gun cocked and aimed, relaxed his shoulders a bit. “I heard you yell. Is everything alright? Did someone get in?”

Castiel shook his head. “No, Dean. The only one in here is me. Well, I guess you too, now. I’m okay, though.”

Dean finally allowed himself to lower his gun. He raised an eyebrow in Cas’s direction and only then saw how tired Castiel looked. He had dark circles under his eyes and appeared paler than normal. His face was coated in a layer of sweat and his hands were trembling as they rested on top of the comforter. 

“You sure? Why’d you yell?” Dean asked, stepping closer to the bed. 

Castiel shot him a warm smile- one that would make Dean believe that everything was okay. “I didn’t mean to. Just a bad dream.”

“Ah,” Dean nodded his head. He had his fair share of bad dreams; it was just part of the business. If there was a hunter out there who had never once gotten a nightmare Dean would pay a hundred bucks just to meet ‘em. With the kind of shit they saw on a day-to-day basis nightmares were practically guaranteed. 

“About anything in particular or…?” Dean didn’t quite know if Cas wanted to open up. Sometimes he would tell Dean exactly what the problem was and other times he was sealed as tightly as a Ma'lak Box. 

“Nothing to worry about. Nothing that’s worthy of being worried about,” Cas told him. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a heavy sigh. He tried to hide it behind that dorky smile of his, but Dean could see right through. 

“Well, hey, if it’s bothering you then I’m going to worry. That’s just what I do, Cas,” Dean shrugged. It was true- he couldn’t help it. Cas was family and Dean loved his family so he would be damned if he wasn’t going to worry about them. 

“I don’t deserve your worry, Dean,” Cas said, quietly. It was practically just a whisper hanging on his lips. 

Dean walked over and placed his gun down on the wooden dresser. He had a feeling he was going to be there for a while. 

“What do you mean?” Dean folded his arms. 

“I _mean_ I’m useless- I don’t deserve you worrying over me. It won’t do either of us any good in the long run.”

It took Dean a moment to register what he was hearing, but once the words finished processing he felt like he had been electrocuted. He shook his head and tried to rid himself of the initial shock, but it didn’t seem to clear his head one bit. 

“Wait- what the hell are you talking about? You- you aren’t useless. You know that, right?” Dean approached the bed and took a seat down on the edge, the mattress dipping under his weight. “Cas, I’m serious.”

“So am I, Dean!” Cas said. He sounded exasperated. “I don’t have my grace! I’m no use to anyone as a human. I’m just dead weight.”

Dean pulled up his legs and sat cross-legged in front of someone he would consider his best friend. “So what if you don’t have your grace? That doesn’t mean you’re useless! Cas, do you think we kept you around just because you’re an angel? You’re our friend- you’re part of our _family_. We like having you around, believe it or not.”

Cas murmured something under his breath and drew his knees up to his chest, resting his chin atop of them. 

“What’d you say?”

“But I can’t save you!” Cas snapped back, his blue eyes locking with Dean’s.

He looked as if he was on the verge of tears. It was clear that the subject at hand was like a dam that had begun to crack and the more Dean asked, the more water would come flowing through. At some point, though, the dam was going to come down. 

“Save me?” Dean questioned. “What do you mean by ‘save me’?”

Castiel gestured vaguely in the direction of his head before locking his fingers in his dark hair, which was already a mess to begin with. 

“In the dreams,” Cas paused as if those three words would be enough of an explanation. He looked up at Dean and must have seen that his puzzled expression had yet to cease, so he continued speaking. “You get hurt. You or Sam or just someone we care about- you always get hurt. I can never save you. I can’t heal you or I can’t smite the monster that’s attacking you- you always die. Every time. I can never save you.”

“Cas, they’re just dreams. Me and Sammy are big boys, we can take care of ourselves, you know.” Dean tried to be reassuring but it wasn’t exactly something he excelled at. 

Cas just lightly shook his head.

“Plus, like I said, we don’t keep you around just because you’re an angel,” Dean told him. “I mean, yeah, it was nice to have some Heavenly back up sometimes, but just because you’re human doesn’t mean you’re dead weight. You’re strong as hell, Cas. You can wield a blade like nobody’s business and punch somebody into next week. You’re a freakin’ genius too- you know all this stuff about demons and angels that won’t be found in any lore books. You’re always there when we need you.”

Cas didn’t say a word. He looked at Dean with a sort of longing in his eyes and the faintest hint of a smile on his lips. 

“You’re funny, too. Even if you don’t mean to be. Not to mention you’ve been through so much with us and even after all the crap we- after all the crap _I’ve_ given you you’re still here. We need you, Cas. _I_ need you.” Dean didn’t realize just how much he had said. The words came out of his mouth as if he couldn’t control them anymore; like they just had a mind of their own. 

Dean would be lying if he said he didn’t regret everything that just came tumbling out of his mouth. He felt like he had said too much, too quickly. Deep down he knew that he could ramble on about Castiel for days, but his admiration wasn’t exactly something he wanted out in the open. Well, Dean knew it was more than admiration. Hopefully, Cas didn’t. 

“You should get back to bed, Dean. It’s late- I didn’t mean to wake you,” Cas spoke as if he didn’t hear a single word that Dean had said. Which Dean was partially thankful for. 

“Nah, I was already up You’re the one who should be getting back to sleep,” Dean patted Cas’s leg and let his hand linger for just a moment too long before recoiling his arm entirely. 

“I don’t think I’ll be going back to sleep anytime soon,” Cas chuckled. He seemed sad- really sad. Hopelessly sad. 

Dean toyed with his bottom lip for just a moment as he fell deep in thought before he jumped off the bed and grinned back at Cas. Cas tilted his head in that adorable puppy-like manner just as Dean ran out of the room and sprinted down the hall. It didn’t take long for him to find what he needed and he soon found himself back in Cas’s room proudly holding up a movie. 

“Alien?” Cas read the title of DVD case. 

“You’ll like it, trust me. It’s about these space explorers who discover a bunch of alien eggs on their ship and-” Dean cut himself off as he walked over to the television to pop the disk in. “Just trust me. It’s a classic.”

“Yes, well, you have good taste. Most of the time.”

Dean let out a shocked gasp but decided to play it up, Of course. “What do you mean most of the time? My taste is impeccable. Always.”

Once Dean was sure he had gotten everything set up properly he finally took a seat next to Castiel on the bed. Of course, Cas made room for him and Dean fit right alongside him. Their legs lined up perfectly next to each other and their shoulders were just barely touching- but it was enough. It was just enough to make Dean want more. 

He knew it was stupid. It was something you could only get away with in cheesy romance movies, but it wasn’t going to stop him from trying. Dean let out a fake yawn and he stretched out his arms, allowing one of them to wrap tenderly around Cas’s shoulders. He was biting his tongue in anticipation, but when Cas showed no sign of annoyance Dean let out a sigh of relief.

“Dean?” Cas said. 

“Hmm?”

“What you said earlier- what did you mean by that? When you said that you needed me?” 

Dean wanted to smash his head against the headboard. “Nothing, man. Just some reassurance, that’s all. You’re uh, you’re my friend. And I need you be- because I care about you.”

Cas reached up and intertwined his fingers with the hand Dean had wrapped around his shoulder. He must have sensed when Dean suddenly tenses up. “This is how humans show mutual affection, isn’t it?”

Dean chuckled lightly, his eyes sparkling with the reflection of the television screen. “Yeah, yeah Cas it is.” 

They didn’t speak for the rest of the movie, although that could have been due to the fact that Castiel fell asleep about halfway through. Dean only realized it when Cas’s head fell against his chest and his hand slipped out from his grip. 

Dean could already feel his back beginning to ache and his legs begin to fall asleep, but he knew better than to move. Instead, he reached over- careful not to wake Cas- and turned the lamp off. He clicked the TV off and tossed the remote to the side.

Dean was thankful for the darkness because he was sure he was as red as a fire truck by now. He smiled to himself and for just a moment- he was content. 

“Goodnight, Cas.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you spot any errors please let me know!


End file.
